Claudia is a post-doctoral research associate studying insulin resistance and ectopic fat deposition in Latino and African-American youth.

Claudia received her PhD in 2010 and an MPH in 2006 at the USC the Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine. Her doctoral studies were funded by an NRSA fellowship (F31) when she studied the effects of insulin resistance and other cardiometabolic risk factors on atherosclerosis risk in overweight Latino youth. Her dissertation work has been published in journals such as Atherosclerosis and Journal of Pediatrics. In addition, Claudia has collaborated on many other projects including a dietary and strength-training intervention for overweight minority youth.

In addition to her research, Claudia is also very committed to the teaching discipline. Prior to coming to USC, she was recognized by the California State University Northridge, Biology department for her dedication to teaching with an Outstanding Teaching Associate Award. At USC, she was a popular teaching assistant in the Health Promotion Department and participated as a Teaching Assistant Fellow in the Center for Excellence in Teaching.

Predoctoral Students

Tanya Alderete

Tanya received her Bachelor of Arts in Biology with a Chemistry minor and an additional concentration in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania. Before beginning at USC, Tanya worked as a Research Assistant in Neurobiology at the University of Pennsylvania and USC. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Biology and Disease under Dr. Michael Goran. Tanya is one of the four recipients of the 2010 Clinical and Translational Science Institute TL1 training grant. Her research interest involves understanding mechanisms and biological pathways that contribute to human disease. Specifically, her current research is aimed at understanding the role of inflammation in obesity related disease risks.

Lauren Gyllenhammer

Lauren Gyllenhammer received a Bachelor of Science in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and is in her first year of the Preventive Medicine/Health Behavior Research Doctoral Program in the Keck School of Medicine. Currently, Lauren's graduate study is funded by USC Provost's Ph.D. Fellowship Program. Lauren is broadly interested in biological mechanisms in health and behavior change and in applying this to work amongst metabolically at-risk overweight children

Ryan Walker

Ryan is currently a Ph.D. student in the Systems Biology and Disease doctoral program at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and is a research assistant under the direction of Drs. Michael Goran and Hooman Allayee.

Before joining the CORC team, Ryan received a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2001. Ryan spent 7 years as a professional chef in both San Francisco and New York City prior to earning his Master of Science in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2008. Ryan has worked as both an Exercise Physiologist and Research Coordinator for the New York Obesity Research Center under Jeanine Albu, M.D.

Ryan’s current research focuses on the effects of dietary fructose malabsorption on liver fat levels and genetic differences in liver fat synthesis and storage in African American and Hispanic youth.